Method of sinking and building concrete piles.



No. 822,588. PATENTED JUNE 5, 1906. R. A. CUMMINGS. METHOD 0E SI-NKING AND BUILDING CONCRETE PILES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1905.

UNITE@ STATES FFTlE.

it'ilitQD @F SENKIING AND BUIILDING CGNORETE PILES..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 19C6.

Application filed July 7,1905. Serial No. 268,670.

To all 11i/mm, it may concern:

Be it know'n that I, ROBERT A, CUMMrNGs, a resident of Beaver, inthe county of Beaver and State of Fennsylvanimhave invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Sinking and Building Concrete Piles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to a method or mode pf forming concrete or beton piles and the ike.

The object of the invention is to simplify the manner of constructing piles in sima, so constructing the same that the casing or tube can be easily withdrawn, and providing a Vmethod. whereby the piles can be placed close together and without danger of distorting or disturbing previously-constructed piles ylocated in proximity to the one being constructed. l

VVarious methods have been proposed for constructing concrete piles in situ. Accord-v ing to one method a tube with a closed end is first driven into the ground to form the opening and is then withdrawn, either bringing its closed end with it or leaving the latter in the bottoni of the hole. This hole is then filled with concrete and the latter permitted to set. The difiiculty with this method is that the driving of the closed-ended tube compacts the ground around the hole, not only making it difiicult to drive the tube, but also forcing the ground sidewise against other previouslyconstructed piles in close proximity to the hole being driven, thus flattening and otherwise distorting the latter and endangering and disturbing the setting of the cement. It has also been proposed to sink into the ground an open-ended tube, remove the earth from the interior thereof, then fill the tubewith concrete and afterward withdraw the tube, leavin the concrete in the hole formed. The difficu ty with this method is that: if the tube is entirely filled with concretebefore it is withdrawn it is very difficult and practically imossible to withdraw it. On the other hand,

1f the tube is ro ressively withdrawn as the filling proceed; tIle concrete will have to be elevated to the upper end of the tube` 'n order to be deposited into the same. Wit tubes for very long piles this involves much additional labor and hoisting apparatus. y

M invention has for its object to overcome the foregoing defects.

It consists, briefly stated, in sinking an open-ended tube into the ground to the proper depth and removing the earth from the interior thereof, then placing in the tube a suitable inelastic envelop, preferably a porous flexible envelop, filling the concrete into but. not around said envelop, and then with drawing the tube and permitting the concrete to set. l The envelop for the concrete prevents the latter from adhering to the interior of the tube so firmly as to make it difficult to withdraw the latter. At the same time the concrete may ooze out through the ores of the envelop and become thoroughly bonded to the surrounding earth.

The invention also comprises features of manipulation, which will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

The drawings show in sectional elevation the mode ofconstructinglthe pile, Figure 1 showing. the sinking of the tube; Fig. 2, the introducing `of 'the concrete into the. same; Fig. 3, the withdrawing of the tube, and Fig. 4 illustrates the `formation of a bulb end or foot under the pile.

In carrying out my invention I employ a suitable tube or Acasing 1 of the necessary cross-sectional shape and area to form the desired pile. This tube is openat its lower end, as shown, and is sunk into the ground in any suitable manner, either by driving the same by suitable mechanism and then removing the earth or by removing the earth simultaneously with the sinking, so that little driving will' be necessary. The particular'mode to follow will.

depend upon the size of the tube and eharacfrom the interior thereof..y

ter of earth in which the same is to be sunk. l

In Fig.' 1 I have illustrated the tube 1 being sunk into the ground and the earth 3 in the interior thereof being removed simultaneously withthe sinking thereof by means of a water-jet from a ipe 4, pressure also being exerted on the tu e to force it downwardly. Any other method of sinking the tub/e and removing the earth therefrom .will answer my purpose. After this tube has been sunk to the required depth and the earth thereinremoved the concrete is introduced into the same. The manner of. introducing the concrete forms the essentially novel step of my invention. This step is carried out in such a manner as to provide a suitableenvelop inclos' the concrete and lying betweenthe same :iid the inner facge of the tube 1. The envelop may rst be introductd into the tubeand the IOO ITO

concrete then filled into the same, or the concrete may be filled intoasuitable envelop at the surface and the mass thus formed introduced bodily into the tube. The former arrangement will be employed in building large piles and is shown in the drawings. The envelop or inner casing 5 is formed of any suitable material and is introduced into the outer tube 1. The concrete is then filled into the same in any suitable manner. W ith short small piles the concrete may be inclosed in an envelop either for the entire length ofthe pile or a section thereof and the inclosed mass then introduced into the outer tube 1.

The envelop may be of'any suitable material which will serve to separate the concrete from the tube, so as to prevent it adhering to the latter. I have found metal mesh or coarse bagging or similar fabric, or even thin sheet metal or vertical metal strips or horizontal bands connected together to form a casing, entirely suitable for the urpose. Such envelop will liebetween t-he tulie 1 and concrete, and as it is practically inelastic it Will prevent the concrete from adhering to the tube. As a consequence the tube may remain in the ground until filled entirely ovr nearly to its top, when it can be withdrawn with comparative ease. I do not wish to eX- clude, however, the progressive or interu1ittent withdrawal of the tube as the filling in of the concrete proceeds.

The envelo when formed of metal mesh or shee meta and filled with concrete will be stiff, t us reinforcing the concrete against vertical loads and flexing and will also form a casing around the concrete and hold it .from fracturing laterally, so that, the pile is strengthened thereby. It may be. in the form of av shell, so as to ter, such as when sinking the pile into the bottom of a body of water. It may be left in place, if desired. i

If desired, a central or otherwise located tube 8 may be introduced during the build- Y ing up of the column, so that afterward concrete or cement in a 'practically liquid -state vmay be introduced |through the same, so as to form a bulb end or foot 9 underneath the pile,

as is nowI the custom.l This pipe may have branches 10 extending out to the sides of the pile, so thatthe space between the-pile and extend through wathe Walls of the hole can be filled with cement.

Various modes of procedure in carr ing out this invention may be employed an` various forms of material used for the envelop. I wish it understood, therefore, that the annexed claims are not to be limited beypnd their terms by either `the illustration or foregoing description. lliis method may also be applied in the construction of small piers and sections of wall and the like.

lVhat I claim is- 1. The method of forn'iing concrete and similar piles and the like which consists in sinking an open-ended tube into the ground, removing t-he earth from the interior of said tube, placing an inelastic envelop or casing in and close to the walls of said'tube, then filling concrete into said envelop but not between the same and the tube, and finally withdrawing. the tube.

2. The method of forming concrete and similar piles and the like which consists in sinking an open-ended tube into the ground, removing the earth from the interior of said tube, placing an inelastic flexible envelop or casing in and Aclose to the Walls of the tube, filling concrete into said envelop but not between the same and the tube, and withdrawing the tube.

3. TheV method of forming concrete and similar piles and the like, consisting in sinking an open-ended tube into the ground,re moving the earth from the interior of said tube, placing an inelastic porous envelop or casing in and close to the Walls of the tube,

filling concrete into said envelop but not between the same and the tube, andthen withdrawing the tube.

4. The method of forming 'concrete and similar piles and the like, consisting in sinlting an open-ended tube into the ground, removing -the earth from the interior of'- said tube, placing a flexible porous envelop in and close' to the walls of said tube, filling concrete into said envelop but not between. the same and the tube, and vthen withdrawing'the tube.

In testimony whereof. I, the said ROBERT A. CUMMINGS, have hereunto set my hand'.

ROBERT A. CUMMINGS.

Witnesses: i

F. W.. WINTER, ROBERT C. TOTTEN.

IOO 

